The Contribution of Computer Courses to Growth

Almost everyone carries a computer around with them in their pocket, a computer more powerful than many large desktops were twenty years ago. Some of the latest 'smartphones' are as powerful as the average laptop from five years ago and have many advanced features that were either completely unaffordable to the consumer market or not available at all. The ubiquity of computers is opening up many new career paths that didn't exist until recently. In towns and cities around the world people avail of computer courses to move into these new fields. In the 18th and 19th Centuries the automation of many industrial processes such as textile fabrication caused great turmoil as people were put out of work. Learning the skills to operate, build, repair and maintain these machines presented opportunities for many of these people to become skilled and valued employees. Thankfully times are not as tempestuous as they were then although the rate of change and development is far greater. Because each of us can own several computers the benefits of this technology are spread more evenly through society. Another difference is that while the technological developments of the 17 and 18 hundreds reduced the number of jobs in particular industries they didn't give rise to as many new industries as computer technology has. Think about a typical medium to large business. Payroll, accounts, schedules and countless other tasks are managed automatically by computers with minimal human oversight required. Looking at the diversity of computer courses in just one medium sized city gives you a sense of just how many new sectors have popped up over the last few years. Many countries have seen huge growth in their knowledge economies and the number of computer courses available reflects that. Around the world numerous industry draw on these education resources to fill specialized roles. Some international companies have manufacturing facilities spread around the world producing hardware such as processors. A facilities like these require highly skilled engineers along with a variety of support staff. Further up the computer supply chain are programmers. A large number of companies have moved to developing cities over the past few years to make the most of the skilled programmers produced by the numerous computer courses there. Quite a few home grown programming companies have cropped up as well. These companies specialize in everything from security to till systems. Two of the largest growth industries of today require a wide range of computer skills. Video games and Social media are experiencing incredible growth even at a time when most other industries are suffering a downturn. many smaller cities with the unrealized potential of their computer courses are perfectly positioned to make the most of this growth. Both of these industries require computer skills from many different disciplines to work together. Video games for example require programmers to build the game engine. They require computer artists for 3D modelling and graphic designers for layouts and concept art. For multiplayer gaming and apps they need specialist networking programmers to ensure their products are compatible across multiple platforms. These are just a few of the different skills required for video game production. Many of the people working in these industries today learned their skills on computer courses.

Sinead Murphy is an author of articles in a variety of areas including computer courses in Dublin. See http://www.bluebrick.ie for more information on computer courses in Dublin.